Dear Cleveland, All of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;

As you now know, our former center, who we drafted in 1996 out of a region you probably never heard of, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.

This was announced after we traded him to the lowly Washington Wizards in February and waited for over 30 days for him to become eligible so we could re-sign him to a lowball offer.

Now, despite a several-day, narcissistic, self-promotional buildup culminating with a national TV special of our former King’s “decision” unlike anything ever “witnessed” in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment, the self-proclaimed “Big Z” is taking his act to South Beach as well.

Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

The good news is that the ownership, team, and the rest of the hard-working, overpaid, overrated bums here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you, because frankly, we can’t. It’s hard to gain trust when you stink.

There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than dismal future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.

You simply don’t deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:

“I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘BIG Z’ WINS ONE.”

You can take it to the bank.

If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness, piggybacking, and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our “motivation” to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.

Some people think they can win a title but NOT have to play here to get one.

Sorry, but that’s simply not how it works.

This shocking act of disloyalty from our own drafted “Big Z” sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And “who” we would want them to grow up to become.

But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called “curse” on Cleveland, Ohio.

The self-declared former “Big Z” will be taking the “curse” and his slow-footed post moves, lack of defense, and the speed of a paper clip with him down South. And until he does “right” by Cleveland, Ohio, and Lithuania, Ilgauskas (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

Just watch.

Sleep well, Cleveland.

Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day…

I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge, and the bums that disappear in the playoffs on our remaining roster will be directed at one thing and one thing only:

DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue…

The swagger, the speed, the athleticism. It's a package deal that the Washington Wizards are poised to aquire in Thursday's NBA Draft (Courtesy photo).

Kwame Brown, Oleksiy Pecherov, Jarvis Hayes and Jared Jeffries. Underachievers in the NBA but promising draft picks at the time to the Washington Wizards. The Wizards have a chance at draft redemption on Thursday when they drop their selection card into the hands of NBA commissioner David Stern. A chance at building a winner. A chance at becoming relevant again. A chance at wiping the slate clean and starting anew. And it all starts with Thursday’s NBA Draft and two simple words; John Wall.

But the 19-year-old Kentucky point guard has a few history hurdles to overcome in his race to first. Only two point guards have been drafted with the top overall selection since 1979 when the Los Angeles Lakers made Magic Johnson the first pick. Critics suggest that championship teams are best constructed with imposing big men, which explains why either a power forward or center has gone No. 1 eight times over the last 10 years.

Although the 6-foot-4 Wall may not be the biggest prospect in the draft, he certainly has some of the biggest qualities. The biggest name. The biggest upside and plays a position that allows for the biggest impact. The media circus that has surrounded the North Carolina native the past two years continues to grow by the day. And was never more apparent than his pre-draft workout last week when more media filled the halls of the Verizon Center to cover a Wizards’ event than at any point over the last few seasons.

All for a player who hasn’t even been drafted yet.

However, there’s something special about Wall and basketball browsers know it. Maybe it’s the quickness or the smooth handle. Maybe it’s the pass first mentality or the leadership. Whatever it is, it’s something that’s not present in Washington but could be packaged on the first train smoking come draft day.

The Washington franchise doesn’t have the golden touch of organizations like Boston, San Antonio or the Lakers to stockpile rosters with capable talent. But as seen with teams like Cleveland, Miami and Oklahoma City, all it takes is one dynamic wonder to make a franchise relevant again.

The Wizards had that in Gilbert Arenas before he shattered his knee then later his reputation after being indicted on gun charges. Now Washington is in the hunt again for a player to breathe life back into a listless franchise and restore interest into a team that’s rapidly moving behind the Redskins, Nationals and Capitals in terms of importance amongst the city’s pro clubs. And for a brief moment on the day of Wall’s workout, the Wizards became relevant again. A renewed interest was born and headlines were graced.

All for a player who hasn’t even been drafted yet.

After Wall’s workout, new owner Ted Leonsis stood outside the Wizards’ locker room and answered question after question from hungry reporters. During the session, Leonsis talked about building a winner and not trading away his top selection. He mentioned how sometimes a team has to endure a miserable season in order to reap the benefits of a plentiful one. He also raved about Wall’s talent and gushed when discussing how the point guard position is an excellent start to building his masterpiece.

Cornered by media, Leonsis had the look of an owner savoring the taste of the new life that Thursday’s draft is scheduled to bring. He saw the masses of news coverage stationed throughout his building and the mass hysteria that made headline news even on the day of the NBA Finals game seven. It was exciting, it was invigorating and it was unexpected.